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Resources

Here is a primer for those who are looking for a basic introduction to city-wide planning in Vancouver.

The list is a work-in-progress. Readers are invited to send suggested additions to vcpc21 [at] vancouver.ca.

1. Articles – A Place to Start

There are many articles that refer to a new city-wide plan for Vancouver. This list offers eight articles that, in combination, provide a basic but fairly thorough introduction to the subject, including opposing perspectives. They are a place to start. Additional sources are listed in the sections below, and many more can be found by browsing online.

The City of Vancouver has been shaped by two major city-wide planning initiatives, the Bartholomew Plan and CityPlan. The City’s Regional Context Statement is a compilation of all plans and policies.

Bartholomew Plan 1929

Created in 1928 and updated in 1929 to include the amalgamated municipalities of South Vancouver and Point Grey. Fully digitized versions are available at the City of Vancouver Archives website, along with many other plans and reports commissioned from Harland Bartholomew and Associates by the Vancouver Town Planning Commission:

CityPlan is a city-wide plan that provided a 20-year framework for decisions on city funding, programs and actions. It guided many planning processes, including capital, housing, greenways and transportation plans, as well as the Community Visions program that was completed in 2010. CityPlan is available on the City of Vancouver (former) website.

All municipalities were required to prepare a Regional Context Statement (RCS) outlining compliance with the Metro Vancouver Regional Growth Strategy. Vancouver’s RCS was adopted as an Official Development Plan for the city, and states: “The City of Vancouver, unlike other local governments, does not have an Official Community Plan covering the whole City. However, there are land use and transportation plans and policies which together provide a planning framework equivalent in scope to a city-wide development plan.” The RCS is a compilation of these plans and policies, and is available on the City of Vancouver website.